When dancers from Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe strut onto the Hawaii Theatre stage next week, it might seem like the passionate gypsy dance will have come a long way — from Spain, via New Mexico, long the epicenter of flamenco in the U.S.

But in fact, the dance will be closer to its roots than you might expect, as long as you look to the west.

“The origin of the dance form itself, the roots of the dance form, are from East India, Pakistan,” Siddi said in a phone call from California, where the group was on tour. “They call it ‘Spanish’ flamenco because there was some musicians and artists that were persecuted in India, and they started migrating into other countries and mixing with other cultures, and they ended up in Spain.”

In its journey from East India to Spain, flamenco picked up Middle Eastern and Arab influences, Siddi said. It ultimately found a home in southern Spain, where these days it is an integral part of the culture, much like hula is here. “It is passed on through family traditions, and then there are academies, schools,” he said. “The more south you go in Spain, the more a part of the culture it is.”

WHILE THE rapid-fire foot-stomping flair of flamenco is certainly its most distinctive feature — there’s even an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most taps in one minute, 1,317 by Spaniard Israel Vivancos — Siddi said the music is actually considered the driving force behind the performance, particularly the vocals, which are often delivered in an emotional, almost tortured tone of despair.

“The singing is the main factor. Then the musician interprets the singer’s emotion and lyrics, and then we reinterpret the music with our bodies,” Siddi said. “There is some chanting but there’s lyrics and dialogue, also. Some singing comes from scripted, older songs from the past. Some come from certain regions, but there are also family-based traditions, and then there’s also freestyle, also. One particular family style might have a certain structure, and within that they can interpret it the way they want, or what they’re feeling in the moment. It’s very soulful.”

There is a “triangular” relationship among the performers, allowing for some improvisation by each. “There is a certain structure and a language between the dancer and the singer and musician that gives some room to highlight their technique,” Siddi said.

The foot-stomping, meanwhile, requires years of training and discipline to develop, and it takes a toll. Many dancers don’t last beyond their 30s, Siddi said, but some dance well beyond that. “You train on a daily basis,” he said. “You work on strength and conditioning, and going faster, and cardio.”

Siddi’s background in flamenco reflects its nomadic, familial and academic roots. His father was a Spaniard from Barcelona who married an Italian and moved to Frankfurt, Germany. Periodically, the Spanish immigrant community there would gather together to dance, and he “got captivated. I was a child and I never stopped,” said Siddi, now 36.

He would go on to study in flamenco schools in Madrid, Seville and Barcelona, and had a thriving career in Europe, dancing with famous flamenco guitarist Rafael Cortes and performing before European royalty. In 2002 he was invited to the U.S. to dance with Maria Benitez’s Santa Fe Teatro Flamenco, which for decades was probably the most prominent flamenco company in the country.

BENITEZ EVENTUALLY retired and passed the torch to Siddi, who established his company in 2008. The company has received accolades for its precision and purpose. “Audiences get the fabulous footwork and skilled port de bras, but they also get a sense of predetermination, even fate,” wrote Santa Fe critic Emmaly Wiederholt last year.

Siddi is known for bringing new sounds and rhythms into the traditional forms, while staying true to the spirit of original flamenco. In some cases he’s departed from the traditional guitar accompaniment, using piano and cello instead. “We bring some authenticity from Spain, but what we do is universal, also,” he said.

He will bring about 15 people, including dancers, musicians, singers and support staff, to Hawaii. (One of his musicians, pianist Alex Conde, will give a solo performance at Jazz Minds on March 11.) His performers come from all over the world — his musicians are from Spain, but his dancers are from the U.S. and Mexico, though they’ve trained in Spain. That points to the popularity of flamenco these days.

“Everywhere we go there’s flamenco. These young ladies (his dancers are all women), they’ve dedicated themselves at a young age into flamenco culture, and when they could, they go to Spain to study,” he said. “It’s a way of life.”